Technology
Is your Roku safe? Massive data breach exposes thousands of accounts
Hackers have stolen data from at least 15,363 Roku users, including credit card information, passwords and more.
According to Roku officials, hackers used information from third-party sources to break into accounts. They then sold user data for just $0.50 per account, according to BleepingComputer.
This effectively lets anyone who wants to pay 50 cents use the credit card stored in the account.
While Roku says they have secured affected accounts, you can still take steps to ensure your safety.
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Roku stuffing attack
According to Roku, hackers obtained usernames and passwords from a third party. This is called a password stuffing attack. Hackers will try to use those logins on several websites, hoping to get your personal information. Once they do break into your account, your credit card information, shipping address, email, and password are all susceptible.
FRENCH GOVERNMENT HIT WITH ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ WAVE OF CYBERATTACKS
Roku has secured accounts and forced password resets on affected accounts. The company also investigated for fraudulent charges, canceled subscriptions and issued refunds to defrauded users.
MORE: HOW TO FIND OUT WHO’S SPYING ON YOU
Someone else is controlling my Roku
We often hear of people wondering how someone else nearby can get access to their Roku device. Channels may change unexpectedly, content can be cast onto the Roku or the previously viewed shows may not be recognizable. If this happens, in addition to locking down your wireless home network and following advice in the next section, check your Roku settings for anything unusual. Here’s how.
- On the Roku remote, press the home button to go to the main screen
- Select “Settings,” then System, find Screen Mirroring, and make sure “none” is selected for others having permission to stream content to your Roku
- Next, do the same for Remotes by selecting Remotes & Devices from the Settings menu. Unless you have permitted others, you should not see any other remote control devices connected except yours
- Now check the Guest Mode by clicking Guest Mode from the Settings menu. Make sure no other people are shown — who may have access to your Roku in Guest Mode
- Finally, from the Settings menu, select System, then Advanced System Settings. Click Control by mobile apps and make sure you see either “default” or “disabled” selected so that no one else is using a mobile app to control your Roku
Data on a computer. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
MORE: HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM STREAMING HACKS
Roku’s response to the hack
Roku announced the breach in a public memo sent to customers dated March 8, citing various information on what happened and what the company is doing to combat the issue:
“We are committed to maintaining the privacy and security of your Roku account and we are taking this incident very seriously. When we identified potentially impacted Roku accounts, we secured the accounts from further unauthorized access by requiring the registered account holder to reset the password, we investigated account activity to determine whether the unauthorized actors had incurred any charges, and we took steps to cancel unauthorized subscriptions and refund any unauthorized charges.
“We did not delay notification as a result of a law enforcement investigation, and we are providing this letter to notify you about these issues, to provide information about how you can further protect yourself, and to let you know that we are continuing our investigation to identify any additional appropriate steps. Finally, our team continues to actively monitor for signs of suspicious activity, to ensure that all customer information and data is kept secure.”
What to do if you’ve been hacked
If it has already happened and you’ve been hacked, then you should take immediate action to minimize the damage and secure your device. Here are some steps that you can follow.
Change your Roku passwords
If hackers have recorded your passwords, they could access your online accounts and steal your data or money. ON ANOTHER DEVICE (i.e., your laptop or desktop), you should change your passwords for all your important accounts, such as email, banking, social media, etc. You want to do this on another device, so the hacker isn’t recording you setting up your new password on your hacked device. And you should also use strong and unique passwords that are hard to guess or crack. You can also use a password manager to generate and store your passwords securely.
Enable two-factor authentication: You’ll want to activate two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security.
Monitor your accounts and transactions
You should check your online accounts and transactions regularly for any suspicious or unauthorized activity. If you notice anything unusual, report it to the service provider or the authorities as soon as possible. You should also review your credit reports and scores to see if there are any signs of identity theft or fraud.
Use identity theft protection
Identity Theft protection companies can monitor personal information like your home title, Social Security Number (SSN), phone number and email address and alert you if it is being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.
Contact your bank and credit card companies
If hackers have obtained your bank or credit card information, they could use it to make purchases or withdrawals without your consent. You should contact your bank and credit card companies and inform them of the situation. They can help you freeze or cancel your cards, dispute any fraudulent charges and issue new cards for you.
Alert your contacts
If hackers have accessed your email or social media accounts, they could use them to send spam or phishing messages to your contacts. They could also impersonate you and ask for money or personal information. You should alert your contacts and warn them not to open or respond to any messages from you that seem suspicious or unusual.
Hacker on a computer. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
MORE: HACKERS USE PIRATED SOFTWARE TO HIJACK MAC, ANDROID AND WINDOWS DEVICES
Kurt’s key takeaways
Who knew hackers could snag your info for less than a cup of coffee? The good news is Roku took action and locked things down. Plus, we now have a game plan to keep our accounts extra secure. Remember, the key is making it as tough as possible for hackers. Strong passwords, two-factor authentication — that kind of stuff. And keeping an eye on your accounts for anything fishy. If you think you’ve been hacked, don’t panic. Just follow the steps we discussed — changing passwords, checking accounts and contacting your bank.
Do you think streaming services have a responsibility to do more to protect user data? Why or why not? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter
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When Oregon resident Isabelle Reksopuro heard Google was gobbling up public land to fuel its data centers in her home state, she didn’t initially know what to believe. “There’s a lot of misinformation about data centers,” she said. “Google has denied taking that land.”
Technically, she explains, The Dalles, a city near the Washington state border, sought to reclaim that land, “and Google is just a big, unnamed power user.” The city had in fact asked for ownership of a 150-acre portion of Mount Hood National Forest, claiming it needs access to Mount Hood’s watershed to meet municipal needs as its population — 16,010 as of the 2020 census — grows. But critics, including environmentalists, say the city is trying to secure more water for Google, which has a sprawling data center campus in The Dalles that already consumes about one-third of the city’s water supply.
This controversy made Reksopuro curious about the backlash to data centers being built in other communities. So Reksopuro, a student at the University of Washington who studies the connections between tech and public policy, decided to map it out. Using information collected by Epoch AI and data scraped from legislation on data centers, she built an interactive map tracking AI policy around the world. She designed it to be simple enough for anyone to use. “I wanted it to be something that my younger sisters could play through and explore to understand what are the data centers in the area and what’s actually being done about it,” Reksopuro said. She hoped to shift their opinions that way, “instead of like, through TikTok.”
Four times a day, the map searches for new sources and checks them against the existing database Reksopuro built out. “Once it does that, it will write a new summary, add it to the news feed, and populate it on the sidebar,” she said. “I wanted it to be self-updating, since I’m also a student.”
Reksopuro isn’t against data centers, but she thinks tech giants benefit from a lack of transparency around data center policies. “Right now, it’s this really opaque thing — and all of a sudden, there’s a facility,” she said. “I think that if people knew about data centers beforehand, it would give them leverage. They would be able to negotiate: ask for job training programs, tax revenue, environmental monitoring, things to improve their community.”
UCF commencement speaker Gloria Caulfield (University of Central Florida via Storyful)
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TOUGH CROWD: During a recent commencement ceremony at the University of Central Florida, a speaker was met with loud boos from the graduating class after declaring that artificial intelligence represents the next industrial revolution. Fox News Digital reporting captures this tense cultural moment, illustrating the mixed public sentiment and skepticism surrounding AI’s growing footprint in daily life.
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FBI Director Kash Patel listened as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke during a press conference at the Department of Justice on April 28, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
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Microsoft Edge is adding a new feature that will allow its Copilot AI chatbot to gather information from all of your open tabs. When you start a conversation with Copilot, you can ask the chatbot questions about what’s in your tabs, compare the products you’re looking at, summarize your open articles, and more.
In its announcement, Microsoft says you can “select which experiences you want or leave off the ones you don’t.” The company is retiring Copilot Mode as well, which could similarly draw information from your tabs but offered some agentic features, like the ability to book a reservation on your behalf. Microsoft has since folded these agentic capabilities into its “Browse with Copilot” tool.
Several other AI features are coming to Edge, including an AI-powered “Study and Learn” mode that can turn the article you’re looking at into a study session or interactive quiz. There’s a new tool that turns your tabs into AI-powered podcasts as well, similar to what you’d find on NotebookLM, and an AI writing assistant that will pop up when you start entering text on a webpage.
You can also give Copilot permission to access your browsing history to provide more “relevant, high-quality answers,” according to Microsoft. Copilot in Edge on desktop and mobile will come with “long-term memory” as well, which can tailor its responses based on your previous conversations. And, when you open up a new tab, you’ll see a redesigned page that combines chat, search, and web navigation, along with the Journeys feature, which uses AI to organize your browsing history into categories that you can revisit.
Meanwhile, an update to Edge’s mobile app will allow you to share your screen with Copilot and talk through the questions about what you’re seeing. Microsoft says you’ll see “clear visual cues” when Copilot is active, “so you know when it’s taking an action, helping, listening, or viewing.”
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